Unrelenting Destiny

11. One at a Time

Orianna Reid-Deveraux

Orianna had been at the far northern border of Astral Twilight since the night prior. She had spent yesterday with some friends and elected to spend the night at one of their houses. Jasper had been distant since he left for Sunset Waters and it clawed at her with jealousy and anxiety. Of course, Jasper had always been faithful to her and never so much as looked in the direction of another she-wolf. But Orianna knew that their bond was fabricated and even she sometimes let her eyes wander to others. She remembered when they first created their bond four years ago, how after she was marked, they were unable to keep their hands off each other. She always wondered with faux-relief how she did not end up pregnant afterward.

She knew Jasper didn't want pups, he had always said that Alpha Ivan would pass his position to his son and he never had to worry about becoming Alpha. Therefore, he never had the need for pups. So Orianna took measures to ensure she would never become pregnant; she did not want to be anything less than what Jasper wanted. The magical properties needed to keep a she-wolf from becoming pregnant were potent and she had made a few friends in the witch community to keep herself secretly stocked.

It was one of these friends she had been staying with, until news of a commotion at the packhouse drew her home. She had been in a fog of wine and weed and her mindlink capabilities were weak, so she was unable to connect with Jasper. But upon arrival, the packhouse was cleared out. The scent of blood and the feeling of erraticism and fear hung in the air. As she took the few steps up to the main foyer, she saw her mate standing against the banister, looking distraught.

Orianna moved to him, circling his broad body as his name left her lips, "Jasper?"

The Beta turned silently and almost hesitantly hugging her back. She chalked it up to nerves as she murmured, "I don't know what happened. But I'm happy you're home."

"M-me too." He uttered, pausing as she moved to kiss him. She turned around, seeing the deserter from The Claiming hiding behind the doorway.

Orianna's nose scrunched, "What's she doing back here?"

Jasper let her go, causing a small noise of complaint to leave her lips. The girl - what was her name? Lisa? Lizzie? - scooted behind the doorway even more, trying to hide herself, "Oh... I didn't mean to intrude..."

The small girl finally elected to stop hiding, taking a few tentative steps into the packhouse. She forced a smile as she greeted the Beta female, "Orianna, I'm Luciana if you don't remember. I never got the chance to thank you for helping me a few nights ago."

"Right, Luciana." she nodded still confused before repeating, "What are you doing back here?"

Before the girl could respond, Jasper rubbed the heel of his palm against one of his eyes, clearly flustered, "Sorry for leaving you in the truck, Luci, I just got... a lot happened."

"Luci?" Orianna scrunched her nose. Since when were they so familiar? They had only been gone two days and he was giving her nicknames? Jasper never even deemed to call her "Ori" or any other sort of pet name in the four years they had been mated.

"Luciana." Jasper corrected, exhaling in an exasperated huff. He looked between the two, one increasingly nervous and one increasingly angry, "I-"

He was cut off once again as Gamma Embry emerged from the basement, "He's in one of the cells. I have Fighter Wilson guarding him for now." The Gamma looked between the befuddled three, one brow raising in a peak, "You're the Sunset Waters she-wolf that ran from The Claiming, right? I thought Beta Jasper was supposed to drop you off there?"

"That's exactly what I was just asking." Orianna said, crossing her arms over her chest as her eyes began narrowing into an accusing glare.

"Right, I was about to-" Jasper fumbled.